Harry Potter sat on the edge of his bed and tied his shoes. He glanced in the mirror and added just a touch of cologne. He didn't want to look like a slob when he proposed to Ginny. Harry thought of his pretty young girlfriend and smiled inwardly. They had been a couple for 2 years, and he was starting to realize that she was the one he was meant to be with. He only hoped that she felt the same way. Harry felt inside his coat pocket to make sure that the ring was still there. It was a sparkling diamond, surrounded by blue gemstones. He wanted everything to be perfect for the biggest night of his life.
"I guess this is it," he said to his mirror.
"Good luck, dearie," the mirror replied.
"Mum!" Ginny called. "Mum, where are you? The potatoes are going to burn!" 18-year-old Ginny Weasley peeked in the oven at the quickly darkening potatoes. She was trying to help her mother make dinner for her family, but it was turning into a disaster.
"Ginny!" Molly Weasley cried. "What are you doing?" She opened the oven and turned the potatoes around. "According to Gilderoy's cookbook, the potatoes need to be turned 360 degrees before they're finished." She sighed and kissed her daughter's forehead. "I know you're trying hard, love."
Ginny didn't want to hear that. Though she was an adult and a mature witch, she hadn't lost her fiery childhood spirit. "Mum, I just want it to be perfect for everyone - especially Harry."
"Don't worry, dear," Mrs. Weasley stroked her daughter's bright red hair that was so like her own. "Whenever I had dinner with your father, something always went wrong on my end, too." She waved her wand and a pitcher of lemonade appeared. "It'll get better as the years go on. Why don't you take that pitcher to the table?"
Ginny did as her mother told her, though she felt like crying. She really, really liked Harry, and she didn't want to ruin their relationship over dinner. As she passed her brother, George, in the hall, she had to stop and laugh. George had donned a bright orange hat, which clashed horribly with his red hair.
"Don't you like it?" he asked. Ginny could only smile and giggle as she continued out to the picnic table. She set the pitcher down and heard a familiar popping sound behind her. Before she could turn around, she was wrapped in a tight hug from Harry.
"Hi, Harry," she said, smiling as he kissed her hello. "If you don't like the potatoes, Ron made them, okay?"
Harry looked confused. "What?"
Ginny laughed. "Never mind. Come inside and help me with the rest of the food."
Over dinner, everyone chatted merrily as they awaited the arrival of Hermione Granger, who was held up at work. Harry sat in between Ron and Ginny, so that he could talk with two of the people he cared most about. Halfway through the meal, Ron stood up and tapped his glass. Everyone fell silent.
"I was going to wait for Hermione before I told everyone the good news," he said nervously, "but I'll tell her again when she gets here. I've been accepted as an Auror!"
Cheers broke out. An Auror was a very high level of work, and it meant that Ron would have a great income. Mrs. Weasley leaned across the table to kiss Ron's cheeks, and Harry and George gave him supportive claps on the back. His other brothers, Charlie, Bill, and Percy, nodded with enthusiasm.
"That was a close one," he whispered to Harry, "I was worried they wouldn't take the news so well. Being an Auror's dangerous."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Ron, not to be a party pooper, but I am an Auror."
"Oh, right," Ron said quickly, "I forgot."
Mrs. Weasley was crying tears of joy. "Oh, Ronnie, I'm just so happy for you! Let's skip the next course; we can have it for lunch tomorrow. We need to celebrate. Ginny," she said to her daughter, "come into the kitchen and help me get dessert, all right?"
Ginny nodded and stood up, following her mother into the house. They soon returned, carrying buckets of butterbeer flavored ice cream. Mrs. Weasley went around to each candle and lit them with her wand. It was all very beautiful and romantic, and Harry couldn't help worrying about his proposal. What if he messed up? What if it didn't come out the right way? What if - and this was the worst "what if" of all - What if Ginny said no?
"Hey, are you all right, mate?" Ron asked. "You look sort of green."
"Yeah, I'm fine," Harry said sharply. He told himself to calm down, and that everything would be all right in the end.
The sky got darker and darker, and soon it was a radiant pink and yellow. The Weasleys were laughing and telling old family stories. This is it, Harry thought. Do it now.
Like Ron had done, Harry stood up and tapped his glass. The Weasleys grew quiet as they watched him. Taking a deep breath, he began to speak.
"I've had a lot of good times in my life," he started. "Some have been at Hogwarts, some have been here, some have been when we were hunting down Voldemort a few years ago." He swallowed. "But most of my good times have been with the beautiful woman sitting next to me." He looked at Ginny, who smiled and blushed. "I was an idiot when I ended our relationship when we were younger. I've said repeatedly how wrong I was, and I'll say it for the rest of eternity."
Harry took Ginny's hand and pulled her up next to him. "You make my life exciting," he told her, looking into her warm brown eyes. "I want to spend every minute of the rest of it with you." He knelt on one knee and pulled the tiny box out of his coat pocket. Knowing what he was doing, Ginny covered her mouth with her hands. She rarely cried, but tears were welling up. "Ginevra Molly Weasley," he said, "will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
Ginny's tears spilled over as she pulled Harry up. "Yes," she whispered, and she kissed him.
No one noticed as Hermione Apparated into the garden. "I'm here," she called, but no one answered. As she watched the happy group congratulate Harry and Ginny, she figured out what had happened. "It was about time, anyway," she said to herself.